Verizon customers report phone service outages across U.S.

Verizon customers across the U.S. reported service outages on Wednesday, with many saying that their devices have been limited to SOS since about noon Eastern Time.

A Verizon spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that the company is aware of “an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers.”

“Our engineers are engaged and are working to identify and solve the issue quickly. We understand how important reliable connectivity is and apologize for the inconvenience,” the spokesperson said.

According to Downdetector, which tracks reports and problem indicators online, more than 180,000 users reported outages at one point. Outages were reported from New York to California, according to complaints posted on the website and social media.

Some T-Mobile users have also reported outages but a T-Mobile spokesperson said its network is “operating normally and as expected.”

“However, due to Verizon’s reported outage, our customers may not be able to reach someone with Verizon service at this time,” the spokesperson said.

New York City Emergency Management said that the outage may be affecting some users trying to call 911 in the area.

“If you have an emergency and cannot connect using your Verizon Wireless device, please call using a device from another carrier, a landline, or go to a police precinct or fire station to report the emergency,” NYCEM said in a statement.

Due to the outage, Verizon customers said their phones were in SOS mode. Mobile phones will sometimes switch to SOS mode when they’re having trouble connecting to a wireless network. As the name suggests, SOS mode means the phone can still make emergency calls, such as 911, by connecting to other carriers, according to Apple.

In August 2025 and October 2024, Verizon experienced a similar outage.